A 70-YEAR-OLD man suffered a near-fatal heart attack after sucking a cannabis lollipop “strong enough to kill”.
The mind-bending sweet contained more than 12 times as much THC – the ingredient that gets users high – than is found in a spliff, doctors say.
Getty – Contributor The cannabis lollipop was ‘strong enough to kill’
The patient began having terrifying hallucinations that sent his blood pressure soaring.
This led to a spike in stress hormones, which triggered a myocardial ischaemia – a cardiac arrest caused by lack of blood flow to the heart.
Ironically, the patient, who had already been diagnosed with hardening of the arteries, ate the lolly to relieve chest pain.
The case was highlighted in a report in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology.
HALLUCINATIONS
In the report Dr Alexandra Saunders, a cardiologist at Dalhousie University in Canada, said: “In a recent case, inappropriate dosing and oral consumption of marijuana by an older patient with stable cardiovascular disease resulted in distress that caused a cardiac event and subsequent reduced cardiac function.
“He presented with crushing chest pain after consuming most of a marijuana lollipop. The whole lollipop contained 90 mg of THC, so an estimated 70 mg was consumed.
“Within 30 minutes the patient described fearful hallucinations, during which he called a family member because he ‘felt like he was dying.'”
The case comes just four months after Canada became the second country, after America, in the world to legalise recreational cannabis.
Within 30 minutes the patient described fearful hallucinations, during which he called a family member because he ‘felt like he was dyingDr Saunders
Named THC suckers, the lollies are also shipped to the UK from Amsterdam and have been found being sold to kids online.
Dr Saunders added: “Potent marijuana edibles can pose a major unrecognised risk to patients with cardiovascular disease.
“With widespread legalisation and increasing use more care, education and research is needed about how each marijuana formulation may affect and sometimes compromise the cardiovascular system of our ageing population.”
The report said the man had been taking appropriate heart medications when he ate most of the lollipop.
It was infused with 90mg of THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) to relieve pain and aid sleep – causing a “potentially-serious heart attack,” said Dr Saunders.
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A regular joint contains just 7mg of THC.
The elderly patient was rushed to the emergency department at St John Regional Hospital.
Dr Saunders said: “After the psychotropic effects of the drug wore off, and his hallucinations ended, his chest pain stopped.”

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Reuters Recreational marijuana was legalised in Canada in October 2018